BREAKING NEWS

Farmington » LDS Church leaders Tuesday unveiled the meetinghouse of the future -- and it's a "green" one. They showcased one of five prototypes, a Farmington stake center that sports 156 solar panels, xeriscaped landscaping, even designated parking for electric cars.

"There is something very doctrinally sound when we talk about conservation of resources," said H. David Burton, presiding bishop of the 13.8 million-member faith. Latter-day Saints, he said, might consider their own environmental stewardship. "This is a teaching moment," Burton said. "This aspect of our culture has become a vital part of our DNA."

Journalists from along the Wasatch Front toured the new meetinghouse, which the church built to silver standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
It will be the second LDS building to earn such status. The first was the new Church History Library, completed last summer in downtown Salt Lake City.

The stake center, which can serve three wards, or congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is one of five such buildings under construction in Utah, Nevada and Arizona to assess the benefits of going green.